From Teens to Titans
by Beautiful Thief
Summary: Returning to an unfamiliar home, Kory Anders has a secret that she must keep, no matter what the cost. Meanwhile, some things never change; and it's throwing the lives of four unsuspecting teens into jeopardy. AU, RobStar


Hello all! Miss me? ;) Yep, this is the first chapter of the From Teens to Titans rewrite; you may notice that it's very different. I've also changed the plotline a lot from the original - having read the old one won't help you know what's coming!

Obviously, there are a few things I need to mention. One is that I've modeled Starfire a little more on her kick-ass comic book counterpart. Second is that as I'm using Dick Grayson's character as my foundation for Robin, he doesn't _quite_ sound like the Robin from the episodes. I understand they're a little different. Stay with me, will ya? ;)

Updates will, as ever, be infrequent. I haven't even started Chapter 2 yet.

Finally, I'd like to thank **Mexicano27**... for just being awesome. Oh, and for being my beta too. ;) Thanks heaps.

* * *

Walking coolly into the new school, Kory Anders gave the idea that she was strong, confident, and ready to take on anything thrown at her. Lustrous rust-red hair swung behind her to fall to her waist, and calculating green eyes surveyed her surroundings as she walked.

Pausing momentarily, she looked down at her timetable. Confounded thing; she berated herself for not getting a map. She couldn't find the classroom she was scheduled to be in, and although being late didn't faze her, she didn't really want to make a bad impression with her new teacher.

Sighing, she turned around and counted the rooms. One... two... three...

"Excuse me."

Kory turned around to face the owner of the voice. A shortish blond boy was behind her, smiling slightly. She hoped he wasn't going to ask her for directions...

"Yes?" she asked.

"Are you looking for Room Eight?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am."

He grinned in reply. "Cool. Follow me, I'll show you where it is."

"Thank you," she replied, relieved. "I'm Kory."

"Gar," the boy said. "You're new right?"

"Yeah huh. Moved here last week," Kory told him. "My Mom is working for some labs here."

Gar paused for a moment, but then continued on. "My parents work at the labs here too. There's just the one lab, so all the science-people here work there."

Kory smiled at him. "Maybe they'll meet," she said. "Mom's been looking for some geneticists to help with a particular project of hers."

He grinned. "We're here!" he announced.

The pair turned into a well disguised room at the end of the corridor. Kory rolled her eyes, as they walked inside. The teacher looked up and smiled.

"Thank you Gar, for finding out new student," she said brightly. "You must be Kory Anders. I'm your teacher, Miss Halliday."

Kory smiled. "Nice to meet you," she replied.

"Come meet my friends!" Gar said, motioning for her to follow him. He walked over to two people, a girl and a guy, and Kory rather hesitantly followed. Despite her earlier confidence, she didn't want to mess up her first impression with these people.

"Hey Rach, Vic!"

The guy looked up, a large grin on his face. "Well hey there Gar. And it's nice to meet ya Kory. I'm Victor Stone. Most call me Vic."

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Rachel," said the girl on the other side of Vic.

Kory nodded, and sat down tentatively on the desk next to where Gar had sat down.

"So, been here long?" Vic asked.

"I moved here last week," Kory told him. "But I've been here before."

"You didn't tell me that!" Gar squawked indignantly.

"You didn't ask," she said sweetly. Rachel smiled slightly from her chair.

"Dick Grayson, you're late!" called Miss Halliday from her desk. Kory looked over at the door to see a black haired boy walk in with all the grace and attitude of a cat. He had an easy and playful smile as he sauntered confidently towards the small group.

"Sorry 'bout that Miss," he said cheerfully. "I got caught up."

"I suppose with Cherise Winters?" Rachel said drolly. "She _was_ a surprise."

He had the grace to go a little pink. Kory raised an eyebrow.

"So I suppose you're the kind of guy I'm supposed to be warned away from," she said. He looked at her and froze.

"Do I know you?" he asked softly.

She shook her head, and her hair waved around her face. Settling to frame her face as she stopped shaking her head, she looked at him directly.

"I'm new."

He frowned, but then obviously made some mental choice, because his smile was quickly back in place.

"And what is this most beautiful new girl's name?"

"This is Kory," said Gar.

"And I don't fall over for one liners," Kory added, giving an easy smile of her own.

Dick blinked. "Who said it was a one liner?" he countered.

"Every book on the game," Kory retorted. "I know guys like you. I know how they play, and I know how they work, and I know what you want. You won't get to me _that_ easily."

He grinned. "I like a challenge."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you do."

As the bell rang, Kory stood up and flicked her head to get her hair out of her face.

"It was nice meeting you all."

She turned and walked away, and Vic, Rachel and Gar looked at Dick as he watched her leave.

He was smiling still as he watched.

"I like her," Rachel said, smirking.

* * *

"Yo! You sitting with us Kory?" Vic called from their table at lunch. Four pairs of eyes turned to him. Meeting them in the morning was fine – but coming to their table? At once they all felt it was normal, but there was something that wasn't right about it at the same time.

She shrugged, and walked over. "I guess," she said. "That is, if you don't mind..."

They all looked at each other, and shook their heads.

"No, you're welcome to stay," Dick said. "You can sit next to-"

"Me," said Rachel. Dick glared at her, but Rachel only gave him a passively smug expression.

Kory sat down next to Rachel, and silence reigned over the table as the five paid more attention to the awkward situation and their food than starting conversation.

"So Kory," said Gar, breaking the silence. "You said you'd been here before. When?"

Kory's eyes flicked up to catch Gar's, then quickly darted away from his face back to her food. "Years back. Early primary school at the latest. Mom and I stayed here a year maybe, before moving."

"When?" Gar pressed.

"Can't remember," Kory replied shortly.

"Can't or won't?" Rachel asked quietly from her seat. All eyes turned to her, and she shrugged.

Kory took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "It was a long while ago. Why do you want to know?"

"Just wonderin," Gar mumbled. "I thought that we might've met before."

Silence fell over the table again. Gar fidgeted in his seat, and Vic looked around their faces nervously. Kory kept her eyes locked on a spot on the table, and Rachel's sight flicked from her to Dick, who was watching Kory's face.

The bell rang, startling them all. Kory stood up quickly.

"Uhm... thanks for letting me sit here," she muttered quickly, before making her way across the room quickly, and out the door.

"Someone else get the feeling she's not telling us everything?" Rachel asked.

Dick nodded. "She wouldn't look at us when she replied. She's hiding something."

"What could she want to hide from us? She doesn't _know_ us," Vic argued.

"We only have her word on that," Gar said timidly. The three turned to look at him; he rarely contributed something as meaningful as that.

"Indeed," Rachel commented. "Indeed we do."

The foursome stood, and moved out of the lunchroom.

* * *

"Hey!"

Kory pushed her hair from her vision to see Dick approaching her. Mentally sighing, she smiled as he sat down next to her.

"Hello Dick."

He sat back and regarded her profile. Kory edgily busied herself with her pencils and books.

"How's the first day of school been?" he asked.

"Oh, good," she told him. "There are a lot of very nice people here. They've been nice about showing me where to go."

"This is my seat."

Dick and Kory looked up to see an irate blonde glaring at Kory. Instantly Kory disliked this girl, and went on the defensive.

"I don't see your name on it, _princess_," she said coolly.

"I _always_ sit next to Dick," she insisted.

Dick could tell Kory was annoyed, and he knew Katherine.

"Go away Katherine. I never sit with you."

"You whore," Katherine hissed at Kory. "You're taking him from me!"

Kory snorted loudly. "Puh-lease. Grow a brain and come back with a new argument, bitch."

Katherine stalked away grinding her teeth and muttering darkly.

"I'm impressed," Dick drawled. "Not many can stand up to Katherine."

"Obviously they have very thin skin," Kory countered. "She's nothing but a lowlife bully... who has the hots for you."

Dick winced. "It's not my fault she's so obsessive," he muttered.

Kory's interest was piqued. "What?"

Dick waved his hand. "Oh, she's completely psychotic. Won't take no for an answer."

Kory's rolled her eyes. "Whatever Dick."

He just smiled back at her.

* * *

Kory closed her locker, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Finally she could go, be by herself for a little while. Maybe go swimming. They were on the coast after all, and it was a nice day...

Smiling to herself, she walked out of the hall, and into the sunlight. She could see Dick, Gar, Rachel and Vic all chatting over near the fence, and a small clique of girls in pink staring directly at Dick – headed by Katherine of course. Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Kory started heading in the direction of her house. Shuffling through her bag as she walked, she ran straight into someone. The two of them fell to the ground.

"Owww..." complained the other girl. "Watch it next time Red."

Kory flushed. "I'm sorry..."

"Tara," the girl supplied, standing up and pushing her blonde hair out of her eyes. She offered her hand to Kory. "You?"

"I'm Kory," she said. "I'm new."

"No way!" Tara exclaimed. "Me too!"

Kory smiled. "Totally not even kidding. So, where'd you come from?"

Tara shrugged. "Around. Me and my family, we move a lot."

Kory nodded. "Same here."

"High five!" Tara said with a grin. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you round Kory. I gotta rock an roll."

"Bye Tara!" Kory replied. The blonde girl gave her another smile, and waved as she walked off.

"Now, what was I doing?" Kory murmured to herself. "That's right, music."

She busied herself in her bag until she found what she was looking for – an ancient mp3 player. Putting one of the earphones in, she started off again for home.

* * *

"Mom, I'm back!" Kory called as she opened the door. Finding the house deserted, not to her surprise, Kory dropped her bag in the hall and walked through to the kitchen. Looking for a note and not finding one, she bit her tongue lightly and thoughtfully.

"A swim would be nice," she said to the empty room. "And the beach isn't far."

That decision made, Kory ran to her room to get changed. Quickly collecting a bag, complete with towel, keys, phone and wallet, she walked out in a faded yellow top and shorts, sneakers kicked off and replaced with thongs.

It wasn't long until she'd walked up the hill to the beach. The water sparkled and shimmered with the movement of the waves, and white water rushed past the few people who were on the rather secluded spot. Kory smiled to herself, and kicked off her sandals as she stepped onto the warm sand. Running down the hill, she dumped her bag and shoes, and took off her top and shorts before running out into the surf.

"Kory!"

She turned to look over where her name came from. The people she'd seen— it seemed to be Dick and the others. Her face must have been shocked, because Dick laughed, and walked over.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Swimming," he told her, smiling. "We come here a lot, us four. You?"

"I live nearby," she replied to him. "I decided to come down for a little while."

"Come on," he said, grabbing her wrist. "Come swim with us."

Kory acquiesced, despite her misgivings. Swimming with them couldn't cause that much harm, could it?

* * *

"Mom, I'm home," Kory called in. Despite her vague sense of déjà vu, her mother's bustling in the kitchen greeted her this time.

"Oh, good evening honey," her mother called back. "How was school?"

"It was a close one Mom," Kory sighed as she sat down. "I think the memories aren't buried very well. It's going back too easily."

Lucy Anders frowned. "We asked them to take care of it," she said thoughtfully. "Did you try to avoid them?"

Kory nodded. "Yeah, but... they still know, somewhere in them. I could tell. Vic invited me over at lunch, even though they hardly knew me. It's risky, doing this. Aren't there any other options? After what happened—"

Her mother shook her head. "Kory, you know I can't afford to send you to the private school. This is our only option. Keep that ring on at all times, and don't let Vic look too closely at it. Remember your background. You haven't met them before."

Kory looked away from her mother's pleading eyes. "It hurts," she told her. "I don't like this. I didn't ask for it. They're my best friends Mom... but they don't even know who I am."

* * *

And that's the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it; please take the time to review!


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